I am an adoptive parent
What contact will I have with Childlink after an adoption order is made?
If you adopted through Childlink, we will stay in touch by sending you our regular newsletter and other agency mailings.
Also, our adoption support service is open to you until your youngest adopted child reaches the age of 18. The service was set up in 2005 in recognition of the growing and ever changing needs of our adoptive families, and it is available to them as and when they need.
What kind of support is on offer?
We can help you in a number of ways such as:
- providing information, advice and support by phone, email, letter or home visits
- linking you informally with other adoptive families
- 'signposting' you to local and national services and resources
- acting as your advocate by liaising, negotiating, writing referrals and supporting letters to help you access services from other agencies
- seeking clarification or additional information about your child's history by researching the local authority files
- helping you to maintain contact arrangements with your child's birth relatives
What else does the service provide?
- We run a rolling programme of workshops which all our adopters are eligible to attend.
- We will invite you to social and networking events for adopters and their children.
- We will also invite you and your children to the Childlink Family Fun Day.
- The service is still evolving and we will let you about new developments as soon as they are in place.
How do I contact the adoption support service?
Email, phone or write to us - click on 'I want to contact Childlink' - and ask for your enquiry to be passed to the adoption support team.
Other useful sites may be:
Adoption UK
www.adoptionuk.orgRun by adopters and registered as an adoption support agency, Adoption UK offers contact and support to adopters before, during, and after the adoption process. They also provide a regular newsletter, information leaflets, resource packs, a computerised experience resource bank, local meetings and events around the country.
Post Adoption Centre
www.postadoptioncentre.org.ukAlso registered as an adoption support agency, the Post Adoption Centre offers counselling and support to people affected by adoption. It also runs workshops and produces useful literature.